English Pearl
by GoldenWeasley
Summary: Harry Potter is going back to Hogwarts for one last time. New character, old favorites and troubled teenage love. Can the sleeping giant really bring an end to the war riddled English Wizarding World?
1. Ch 1: White

English Pearl  
  
Ch. 1: White.  
  
[A/N: I originally posted this story in the fall of 2003. Having taken it down, reworked it and reconsidered my plot I am ready to repost it with a new title (only slightly altered from England to English), second chapter and whole new focus. This is a story about an American Transfer Student. My character, Deniera, is a personal creation based off a friend who passed away. She will be steadily fleshed out through Harry's 7th year. OotP Spoiler Warning.]  
  
Hogwarts. England's most prestigious magic school lay under the dark clouds of a rising evil and impending war. Dumbledore spends a better portion of his time trying to gain allies from Durmstang and Beauxbatons, the Americans left to the wayside under the assumption that this war would require their awakening like the last.  
  
An American girl, her father an emissary of the U.S Department of Magical Management, packs her bags from the Embassy for this school year. She would have been a junior in Groom Lake Academy. Black tendrils dangling around her face, framing glittery hazel eyes are what provide the shell of the American Dreamer. Tan complexion gives away her parents heritage originally in Nevada, but its lightness in recent days suggest her long summer in London itself.  
  
The summer was drawing to a close as both parents agreed to take days off to help their daughter prepare for a new school year ahead. Her only frustration being with the severe lack of summer and focus on school still placed throughout what she had. They began a hazardous journey through London finding the Leaky Cauldron in less than an hour. Slipping through, they arrived at the wall, pulling a parchment informing them of the proper tapping mechanism. Stepping in, Deniera led her parents' strait to the broom shop where she began pricing and mentally exchanging currency in her mind while her parents went to fetch books.  
  
"The Nimbus XE, top of the line and latest model of the series. Slytherin will have one of those new on its Quiddich team." a sneering voice from behind her.  
  
"That's good to hear, I myself am interested in one as well." She replied, looking at the silver haired boy with mild distaste.  
  
"I am Draco, Draco Malfoy, you would do well to join the Slytherin house and avoid certain, unrepeatable names." He hissed, glaring at the large group of redheads approaching. "But back to the broom, it has the best alignment and speed and can even beat out the Cleansweep 12."  
  
"Cleansweep 12, Nimbus XE. Both are brooms and brooms are only as good as their handlers. "She replies, moving into the store in an attempt to get away from him.  
  
He follows his interest in the girl obviously piqued.  
  
"I know the fellow; I could get you a discount." He replied with an air of arrogance.  
  
"If I wanted a discount, I would return to Taiwan. Nimbus made... cleansweep made... all made in Taiwan." She said with a chuckle as she dropped enough gold for two brooms.  
  
"You have two brooms. A gift for someone?" Draco asked, looking far too hopeful, obviously missing having his father around to buy him stuff.  
  
"No shit Sherlock." She replied, rolling her eyes at him walking towards the door.  
  
"Brother, cousin, father, sister" his voice rose slightly, "boyfriend?" as he trailed her like a lost puppy.  
  
"Perhaps..." She said as she stopped dead of a glaring pug faced female.  
  
"DRAKIE!" Pansy exclaimed, glaring at Deniera.  
  
"Obviously we found your significant other. He has been searching for you for hours. Good day." She told him running away from a yelp as Pansy began squeezing the life out of him in public.  
  
Deniera went towards the mass of redhead she had seen earlier, brooms tossed over shoulder. "Weasley's Weezies."  
  
Stepping in, the first step almost killed her. The sign of 'Watch that first step, it's a doozy,' made her chuckle as she begun to browse the wares. The plates of various candies and plastic fake wands tempted her, but she knew better to try any herself.  
  
"That wand you're eyeing makes a sparkler come out, simple yet tasteful." A redheaded girl stepped up beside her.  
  
"I'd like it; I miss Fourth of July back home so it would be nice for some fun here. "  
  
"Your new, I'm Ginny, the youngest Weasley helping out here in the shop. My brothers are in the back arguing with Mum regarding going back for another year at Hogwarts. If you follow me we can go find the colors you want. We just have to move quietly." Ginny told her with a smile of innocence.  
  
Walking back, Mrs. Weasley was moaning about how few Owls both boys had picked up and how they could go so much farther in the ministry and with NEWTs. Ron was sitting on the side with Hermione, flicking at a few pieces of her fluffy hair and the twins were looking rather downcast.  
  
"Mum, give us one real good reason. We love our joke shop. Why go back?" George asked, looking to Fred.  
  
"Yea, why should we go back?" Fred added, looking to his mother as Ginny and Deniera appeared in the doorway.  
  
Ginny went over to the bins while Molly searching for an answer, caught sight of Deniera.  
  
"Why dear, do help an old lady out, what reason could I possibly give to a pair of stubborn sons?" Molly asked, looking at her in agitated frustration.  
  
Deniera stopped all movement like a deer in the headlights. She sought around her mind then replied cool and controlled manner. "Quiddich..."  
  
"What?" The pair looked at her, both in shock of her pretty appearance and quickly gaining notice of the two brooms she held that already had Ron drooling much to Hermione's annoyance.  
  
"If your house wins the Quiddich Cup, I'll buy you the top of the line brooms of the year. To improve your chances, one of you can use my broom and perhaps the other if I am placed in your house."  
  
"What is the catch?" Fred asked, eyeing her suspiciously.  
  
"Teach me to play Quiddich. We play quadpot and snitagon at my other schools so I don't fully understand the nuances of Quiddich. I have only seen two matches, those on the Wizalite when I was in Taiwan." She said with a flush of embarrassment.  
  
"You lived in Taiwan? You don't look Asian." George replied, adding to the inquisition.  
  
"I'm not. I am Native American; my parents attended the Academy in the South West and were commissioned as Army Magicians under the Department of State. They traveled everywhere and had me in Salem. I lived in France, Taiwan and Australia. I recently attended their old academy while they assisted in attending my grandmother who passed away at Christmas. They took the posts here and now I am attending Hogwarts." Her words were like a recantation she had said a hundred times before.  
  
"You do have a name don't you?" Fred asked, ingesting every last bit of information possible.  
  
"How silly of me, my parents would frown upon my etiquette. I am Deniera Liira Talos which means the storms daughter of knowledge and unicorns." Deniera replied with a flushed whisper at the end.  
  
"Daughter of Knowledge and Unicorns, she sounds like a Ravenclaw." Ron said from the back.  
  
"I was an Eagle clansman in the last Academy, which I was told is much like the Gryffindor House." She said with a deepening blush. "We are pride and courage to boot. The only thing that differentiated us from the Viper Clan was our honor to good above all else."  
  
"Alright, we will go back. But if it is as bad as it was last year we leave and never return." Fred replied in resignation.  
  
"If you want to learn Quiddich, come by the Burrow. We are just off the beaten trail" George said with a smile. 


	2. Ch 2: Star

English Pearl  
  
Ch: 2: Star  
  
{A/N: I get sidetracked on the Fred & George development to move along the story a bit. This will focus more with Harry and Deniera in the next three chapters, but don't worry; I'll explain how Fred and George will be back around Hogwarts and serving up mischief when they are technically two years out of school by Chapter 5.)  
  
Deniera settled into a room along the London waterfront. She was ill at ease with the new surroundings but could understand her parents concern for their only daughter as a war as quiet as the Cold War brewed in the heart of England. The hotel rested on the end of a wearing tunnel, leading into the soul of Diagon Alley as a cover in case of attack. The tunnel also provided Deniera a chance to spend more time in the Wizarding World than she was used to enjoying. In Taiwan, she only saw Verti Gully twice, which allowed a limited view of the customs of Wizards themselves.  
  
Her room was small, roughly twenty feet across with a large bed dominating the room. The bathroom was a tiny 15 by 15 cube with lavatory and shower stall. 'No expense was spared here,' she thought to herself. 'But, least it be only a week.' She settled down on the bed, pulling out one of the many books she had brought along from her early trip. With the requirements and studies already completed, she figured she would get some light reading in before school would start.  
  
She was only a page or two into her reading when a crack occurred just outside her door. She could hear a man rustling with keys as she drew her wand and rose from the bed. 'What self respecting wizard apparatus in a muggle hotel? He could be seen!' she thought desperately to herself. As she inched closer to the door, she watched the knob turn and door open to an old wizard with grey beard well down his body holding his wand out before him.  
  
"Who are you?" She asked, holding her wand with an air of authority. 'Must not be afraid, must not be afraid.'  
  
"Ah, Miss Talos I presume. I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am afraid I have a very unusual request to make of you." Prof. Dumbledore said quickly.  
  
"With all due respect headmaster, please come in where the common folk won't hear of our, umm... blessed lifestyles." Deniera said with a wavering voice as she tried to usher him in.  
  
"I cannot stay long you see Miss Talos otherwise I would not put you at such risk. But your parents are strong in their understanding of the problem at hand and I must ask if I can leave a priceless charge with you." Albus pushed forward.  
  
"If my parents said I could handle it, I trust their judgment." She replied, embarrassed that everyone had so much faith in her.  
  
"Splendid, I'll have hem escort it here through more traditional means. In the mean time, don't do any magic aside from the wards you already placed." He told her, before looking past her at the room she occupied. He reached into his robe and handed her a small box. "Use this to make the proper preparations; I cannot disclose what your receiving as the information is best left for your reading."  
  
"Yes Headmaster. Good afternoon." She replied, still unsure as to what exactly she had gotten herself into.  
  
As Prof. Dumbledore apparated away, she closed the door and pulled her pocket knife to open the package. Inside sat a note with 400 British pounds. Putting the money in her money belt she opened the note and quickly scanned the document inside.  
  
'Dearest Denny [her parents favorite nickname for her],  
Prof Dumbledore was desperate for help in putting up a boy in your age group who people are out to attack. It is vitally important to the stability of the European Wizarding world that you protect him from harm. We trust you to keep him out of sight till you depart for Hogwarts. Take the cash we managed to pull together and go down stairs. Ask to talk to Mr. Bergs. Tell him you want to rent the Suite #200. Collect the stuff and go to the Suite and wait 15 minutes. You'll receive a call from a Mr. Lupin. Tell the front attendant that you will receive them and they will arrive in your room shortly after that. Everything else you need to know will be imparted my Mr. Lupin. Don't worry luv, everything will be alright.  
[A picture of a storm cloud sealed their names.]'  
  
Denny sighed, 'I could be taking care of someone's pet dragon with the cryptology of that note.' She gathered her book, the only item she had unpacked and placed it in the box and went down to the front desk. A squeaky youth manned the desk, looked up at her from his chair. Denny patiently asked to see Mr. Berg, who quickly came out of his office.  
  
"My parents just called. They were interested in coming to join me. They asked me to rent Suite 200, assuring me that you told them it was available. But their flight was delayed, so they won't be here till around midnight, could I please rent the room?" Denny asked pleasantly, putting on a 100 dollar smile.  
  
"But of course Miss Talos, it will be 100 pounds." Mr. Berg, a fat, fuzzy, unkempt man said with the smile of a sleazy car salesman.  
  
She pulled the cash out, placing it in his outstretched, sweaty palm. She took the key and her things and went wandering upstairs. Once finding room 200, she opened the door and placed her things on the table. The suite was a living room and kitchenette separate from one large bedroom with an over thick bed. It was far too expensive for its modest accommodations. She quickly reread the note, taking all the important things into account. First, she was protecting a boy. Second, he was very important and he was her age. Her mind mulled over the possibilities for a few minutes. She was jolted out of her thoughts when the phone rang, exactly 15 minutes since she set foot in her room. She lifted the receiver to her ear.  
  
"Talos here." She told them, answering exactly like her parents would.  
  
"It is Prof. Lupin, I hope you were expecting us." The male voice came across.  
  
"Yes, please come on up." She told him, repeating again to the desk attendant, who seemed to grumble about the strange American having a party.  
  
She paced slightly, realizing that her plans to learn how to play quiddich over the summer had just been put off. A small sigh, but reminded that she was doing a favor to her parents and that she should be strong for them was all she had time to think about before a rapping came to her door. She crossed the room again to open the door, looking at a haggardly man with barely pressed shirt and soft kakis being backed by a number of people she couldn't recognize from her vantage point.  
  
"Mr. Lupin, come in." Deniera spoke as she assessed the other ten people behind him with mild surprise.  
  
"Pleasure to meet you, though I wish it were under better circumstances." Remus began, as he shook her hand and led her past the door towards the couch. "You've been kept in the dark I see, so let me tell you what is going on."  
  
While Remus led Denny away, Arthur Weasley, Kingsley Shackbolt, MadEye Moody, Nymph Tonks quickly surveyed the room while Harry, Ron, Hermione along with the twins and Bill all brought up the last of the conga line. Wards of protection were quickly established by the older Order members while Hermione and Ron carried the laden bags towards the kitchenette. Harry looked around with frustration in his eyes, but kept quiet like he had promised Lupin he would. 'Prisoner in yet another muggle establishment, I'm 17... When will they finally trust me to take care of myself?' Harry thought dismally to himself.  
  
"Right now Lord Voldermort is rising back to power. In his prime, he previously was the Hitler of the English Wizarding World. He was beaten back by a young baby whose mother selflessly sacrifice to save him. Protected by this powerful aura magic, Voldermort faded into obscurity for eleven years. Once he became of age, Voldermort actively began systematic attempts to exterminate him. He has survived six years of school at Hogwarts but needs one last year to truly master the tools he will need to finally kill Lord Voldermort." Lupin stated simply  
  
"Interesting history lesson, where do I come into play?" Denny asked, digesting the brief lesson presented to her while trying not to spy the group of red heads going through each room with their wands and setting up protective layers.  
  
"You're being asked to protect him and make sure he makes it to Hogwarts for his seventh year. Your parents lead on to the fact that you've obtained a good deal of mastery with technology and magic and could blend both without setting off the alarms at the Misuse of Muggle artifacts division." Lupin said, watching her raised brow lower.  
  
"Alright, does 'he' have a name?" Denny asked, looking around at the people who were close to her age.  
  
Lupin chuckled. "You have your father's sense of business. Let me introduce everyone." He tells her, going around the room and introducing all the older people first before reaching the youths.  
  
"These are the talented members of your class, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter." Gesturing to each in turn. "Harry is the one we are leaving to your care."  
  
"I don't know why we don't just protect him at the Burrow." Ron said, quickly looking apologetic to Harry.  
  
"Because we don't see everything that adults do and they hopefully have the years to support what they believe is best." Denny told Ron, her voice ringing softly of authority but didn't have the spoken down know it all aspect that Hermione's voice was famous for. "I am Deniera Talos, by the way." She offered her hand to Harry, her eyes closing in on his.  
  
"I guess this means you won't be visiting us at the Burrow. Perhaps we can visit and you can show us the neat muggle artifacts you have manipulated into your own." Fred said with a grin  
  
"Muggle?" Denny asked.  
  
"Common folk Deniera, slang for common folk." Lupin assured her.  
  
"All right now Lupin, all the pieces are in place, let's give the kids get some peace and quiet." Arthur said, rounding up his prodigies. He pulled a document, offering it to Deniera. "A list of people sympathetic to our cause, the best times for working magic when it might be overlooked, for Harry you know."  
  
"Worst case I use my panic button." Deniera said with a smile.  
  
"Good day you two..." Arthur said as he herded the pack out.  
  
"Don't worry Harry, just a week." Hermione said with a reassuring smile.  
  
"We never looked forward to school so much." Ron added.  
  
"Finish your homework if you can!" Hermione finished as Arthur closed the door. 


End file.
